Halloween Is Creeping Up On Us

If you’re into countdowns, it’s not long until the crucial trick-or-treat day and the weekend of major costume and theme parties. Yes, you can ignore it and haul out a sheet again, but instead of hiding as a ghost, why not start now and really enjoy the one holiday that glorifies candy?

When it comes to costumes, Americans know how to celebrate. We spend $1.5 billion a year on Halloween costumes and accessories, according to a study by Roper Starch Worldwide, which also reports that a third of us dress up for Halloween. The same study also says almost 60 percent of people in the Western United States celebrate Halloween, the highest participation in the country.

Halloween costume patterns sell out quickly, so given the popularity of the holiday, now is the time to hit the pattern and fabric stores if you want to sew something elaborate.

Popular costume patterns this year, according to the Sewing Fashion Council, include Esmeralda and Quasimodo from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” along with past favorites Aladdin and Princess Jasmine from “Aladdin,” Peter Pan, the Flintstones, Batman, Robin and the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Given its connection with treats, it shouldn’t be a surprise that costumes to turn you into an M&M, a Hershey’s Kiss or a Reese’s candy bar also are available.

Less elaborate and time-consuming but still clever are costumes that use basic sweat pants and shirts as their foundation. The Lands’ End catalog people put together a package of five patterns in infant to pre-teen sizes that use sweats as the basis for creating a bunny, apple, sunflower, strawberry or dinosaur. They don’t require sewing-machine skills - scissors, a needle and thread are the only tools you need.

You simply cut out the shapes, such as ovals for bunny ears or triangles for the dinosaur tail, and attach them with large, hand-looped stitches. Don’t worry about perfection, since the idea is for it to last one night before disassembling - and have the sweats available again for everyday use.

The kit is $5 and Lands’ End delivers within five working days. (Call 800-356-4444.) If you aren’t already on the mailing list, ask for a free copy of the Lands’ End Kids’ catalog as well.

After the Stork, another mail-order catalog, offers costumes meant to be layered over basic sweats. These include a green hat and collar for $7.50 that transforms a child in orange sweats into a pumpkin, or an all-in-one black hood and cape for $15 that creates a spider costume. Glow-in-the-dark pillowcases with a cat or monster motif, $7.50 each, can be used for Halloween trick-or-treat bags and later as bed linens.

For a free copy of the latest After the Stork catalog - which carries clothing for children and adults - and quick service on Halloween merchandise, call (800) 859-8167. Your catalog will arrive within a day of your call since the company offers overnight and two-day delivery services.

To keep Halloween a safe experience, make sure your children can see and be seen.

Falls are the No. 1 injury associated with Halloween. You can avoid tripping and help your child and yourself see better if you use face paints rather than masks. To make removal easier, use a cold-cream base under makeup. Also, if it’s the first time you’ve use face paints, do a sensitivity test in advance by dabbing some on the inside of your arm and leaving it on for at least an hour.

Part of the glamour of Halloween is trick-or-treating when it’s dark and slightly spooky outside. However, you don’t want to be invisible to cars, cyclists, rollerbladers or skateboarders. Some costumes come with light-reflective features and many parents add reflective tape or glow-in-the-dark paints to costumes or trick-ortreat bags.

Another way to ensure you’re seen is the Safety Strobe, a small 2-inch wide “button” that emits bright red flashes through its jack-o’-lantern face.

Two watch batteries, which are included, power the Safety Strobe for up to 100 hours. You can order Safety Strobe directly from the manufacturer, Chicago Model International, for $3.99, by calling (800) 264-7652.